Sepharmouse happily watches Sarah sort and fix and shelve and then tells her stuff as it happens now and again.
The night passed, and time passed, as Sarah shelved books and Sepharmouse commented. Time passes away, minute and hour and passing second spent in good work that the soul loves, work pleasing to the heart. Matters are ordered and made plain. It could almost be a meditation in itself, this task, this movement among things that Chephirah loves, in work that she was born to do.
<
And for a single moment in that work, there is light around her - pure light, the heart's own
desired light, a constant and abiding love that she knows and recognises, an acknowledgement
of her. The time is immaterial, the moment is immaterial, but she can feel that presence and that
love, and she feels a growth in herself - a rising, an expansion - and a new light.
There is nothing for Sephar to see, but the Domination can briefly feel a *presence* passing - not
its own Archangel, but another Lord among the angels, another being of light, briefly there, then
gone.
<
Sepharmouse is watching sleepily, blinks mildly at the sensation and its ears go up in curiosity.
Sarah sets the last book of her armful in place, and lifts her head, smiling; a lingering near-glow
in her eyes.
Sepharmouse cocks its head a bit and just snuggles down comfortably again, willing to simply
wait and listen.
Sarah says softly, to the air, "Thank you." Absently, she reaches to brush Sephar's fur as she
moves from the aisle with a renewed purpose in her step - returning the cart of books to be
reshelved to where another librarian should find them.
Sepharmouse mrrrruffles softly.
There is no answer, but only the comforting presence of the library around her, a reminder of the
greater Library.
Sarah asks, "How are the others, Sephar?"
<
<
Sepharmouse says reflectively, "Phineas is fine, though he found an arm and it's being looked at
by Lightning. He's gone to the restaurant and we have interesting theories as to what they're doing
with body parts."
Sepharmouse murmurs, "The Dream drug that Aron, Azalea, Liz, and Tania were investigating
seems to have raw Ethereal Force material in it." It frowns thoughtfully, "And there seems some
link to Dr. Matthews to the drug makers."
Sarah pauses. "What who's doing with body parts, precisely?"
Sephar says "Uhm. The restaurant seems to have a special menu on special days, and Phineas
seems to believe that they... serve... uhm... human flesh. The arm turns out to be that of a human
female, who was missing, and who was deliberately bled to death after death, then frozen, which
seems to support the theory in part."
Sephar's hesitations are somewhat long.
Sephar says "Dr. Matthews is the one we've connected to Fate through the Sancuzzi lines."
<
Sarah lifts Sephar and lays her cheek against his fur, quite gentle. "I remember him, I think..."
<
Sepharmouse rubs gently against Sarah's cheek.
<
<
Sarah says "Wait. This Dr. Matthews - it could be a coincidence of name, but do you recall
offhand what his vocation is?"
Sepharmouse nods, "Yes, he owns a rare bookshop and seems to be supplying rare, occult tomes
to the drug makers slash dealers."
Sarah says "I /have/ heard of him."
Sepharmouse says, "Hitherby and I are going to stake out the store to see what we can see, but
I think a few of us were hoping you might check out his store, with plenty of support and
backup."
Sarah says, "I think I could manage that. He might be able to recognize me, though."
Sephar says "Might be easier, in some ways, might make it much harder in others."
Sepharmouse sighs, "I suppose it would be safe to say that Fate would have knowledge of all of
us after the events of the last weeks."
<
<
<
<
Sarah laughs softly. "Oh, I'd imagine so. Is it worth so much as trying a disguise, do you
think?"
<
Sephar says "I haven't quite enough data to determine that, yet. Let Hitherby and I quantify what
we may before risking you, I think."
Sepharmouse blinks mildly, "Marc is visiting Sistine's. My."
<
<
Sarah's eyebrows lift. "Oh, my. Did Liz ask him to stop by, or did he just... arrive?"
<
Sepharmouse sighs over a car it'll never really possess, but then says, matter of factly, "He's just
arriving and he has Jolt in the coffeepot, that's keen. I think it was a surprise visit and folks are
telling him what's up, and he's interested in a short report from Liz, I think, and ... oh, cool, he's
given her something."
Sepharmouse curls up on Sarah's palm, cheerfully.
Sarah says, "I'm getting the decided feeling that tomorrow is going to be an exceptionally
interesting day."
Sepharmouse chuckles.
Sephar says "Likely. Cool. Marc also wanted to tell us that both Focals and Bellmans are
bankrupt. Hrm. He says that almost like Eddie being satisfied about a demon kill."
<
<
Sepharmouse sighs, "I hope it won't be quite as interesting as the last two days, but we'll have to
see."
Sarah strokes Sephar's fur the more, cradling his host in her hands. "That," she says, with a fairly
satisfied tone, "is very, very good news indeed. The Game and Nightmares will be irritated, but
they're that already."
Sepharmouse nodnods at that.
Sarah says "I do intend for none of us to repeat that visit, if at all possible, believe me."
Sepharmouse mrrrrprrs at that quietly. "It would be good."
Sarah says "It would."
Sarah says "Sephar, would you like to visit France for a little?"
Sepharmouse blinks, "Certainly."
Sephar says "If you are going, I should go with you."
Sarah smiles. "Not immediately, no."
Sepharmouse sighs and relaxes just a bit at that, "Okay. When? And would you want some of the
others to come with?"
Sarah says, "Soon, I think. We'll talk to the others - Pat and Liz especially. And to Stone."
Sepharmouse nods at that.
<
Sarah considers the cart; stows the second-to-last book, then the last three shelves below it. "For
now - I presume everyone's meeting at Sistine's again?"
Sephar says "Liz is at Sistine's, presently."
Sephar says "I haven't seen Pat or Daimon for a while, but many of the others are, indeed, at
Sistine's."
<
Sephar says "Ah. Liz is about to head off to do some Role work, I think, should I ask her to
wait?"
Sarah returns the cart to its own and proper place. "No, her Role is important, as well." She signs
out, name clear and strong, and goes to once more consider the ways of public transportation.
Sepharmouse nods and balances on Sarah's shoulder as she leaves.
---